1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coated paperboard carton forming machines, and generally, to a carton bottom end closing means for these machines. The invention is particularly concerned with a carton bottom breaker apparatus that is adapted to carry out a prebreaking operation upon the bottom closure panels of a carton prior to the tucking and sealing of these panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the coated paperboard carton forming art to provide a forming machine with apparatus for performing a prebreaking operation on the bottom end closure panels of a coated paperboard carton. Some of the prior art paperboard carton forming machines also include apparatuses which eliminate a separate prebreaking operation upon the bottom end closure panels and which have end folding and tucking apparatuses for closing the bottom end panels of a carton. A disadvantage of the aforementioned prior art bottom end folding and tucking apparatuses, whether eliminating separate prebreaking operations or not, is that they are relatively expensive, due to their complex construction which incorporates a plurality of drive means for operating the various required folding and tucking elements. A further disadvantage of the aforementioned prior art carton bottom end forming apparatuses is that they sometimes fail to properly fold the bottom end closure panels along the score lines dividing these panels which results in false scoring, and folding of the panels incorrectly with resultant defective and leaking bottom end closures.